The What, The Why & The How: A 360 degree look at Corporate Blogging.

BRIDGELINE WHITEPAPER SERIES

THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO CORPORATE BLOGGING FOR MARKETERS

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Bridgeline Digital Whitepaper © 2013 - The Definitive Guide to Corporate Blogging for Marketers 1

AN INTRODUCTION: FUEL MARKETING EFFORTS WITH YOUR COMPANY BLOG

THE BENEFITS ARE REAL. THE REWARD IS LUCRATIVE. SO WHY, EXACTLY, AREN’T YOU BLOGGING ON YOUR COMPANY’S WEBSITE?

Blogging. For one contingent of marketers, pumping

out posts on the company blog is their favorite part of

the day; an opportunity to muse about industry news,

highlight their product, and release creative fuel that is

otherwise bottled up. For other marketers, blogging is

the chore in the way of getting “more important” work

accomplished. In other words, writing daily posts is an

endless nuisance, like listening to “The Song That Never

Ends.”

Without question, whichever side of the fence you

happen to fall on, blogging is a critical part of today’s

marketing strategy. According to a Blogging.Org survey,

60% of companies have a business blog; however,

65% haven’t blogged in a year, essentially rendering their effort useless.

Despite the rate at which business blogs go dark, the evidence that publishing a company blog prolifically

bolsters marketing results is irrefutable.

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING (VIA HUBSPOT):

■ B2B marketers who use blogs generate 67% more leads per month than those who do not.

■ B2C companies that blog generate 88% more leads per month than those who do not.

■ 92% of companies who blog multiple times per day have acquired a customer from their blog.

■ 57% of companies with a blog have acquired a customer from their blog.

What do you see in those statistics? More leads, more customers, and most importantly, improved conversion

rates. All from blogging.

So why aren’t more companies using their blog to generate more business? In short, maintaining a blog is

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hard, because we often forget that writing is, well, hard. But fear not, this guide identifies tips on writing, style,

types of posts, and how to foster and curate a community through blogging.

If nothing else, please take the following away from this guide: The ability to manage a company blog boils

down to the desire and commitment to do so. If you find yourself perplexed, remember that writing is a craft.

And like anything, your skills – or skillz (more on this later) – develop over the course of time.

PART 1, BLOGGING BASICS: GRAMMAR, VOICE & TONE

The ascension of the Internet has (unfortunately) reduced

grammar standards. Take a moment and read major

publications on the web, and you’ll frequently find basic

grammar mistakes. Consequently, while writing may be

a craft, your blog isn’t going to be reviewed with the

dreaded Red Pen by your 10th grade English teacher,

Mrs. Grammar. (See what I did there?)

AP Style isn’t a requirement, and sometimes, it’s better to completely ignore. Don’t get us wrong, diligence is

always better; the more punctual you are, the more serious your writing will be taken. That said, don’t sweat

the small stuff … It happens, even to professionals.

BLOG-SPEAK: WRITE LIKE YOU TALK

It may not feel like it, but your blog is a casual two-way conversation; just like that exchange of ideas you have

at a cocktail hour with a prospect you met at a trade show earlier in the morning. The conversation should feel

casual and colloquial. What does this mean? As easy as it is to Google synonyms for “difficult,” more often than

not, it’s better just to write “difficult.”

“THE CASUAL, INFORMAL NATURE OF BLOGGING MEANS THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TO CREATE

A PERFECTLY CRAFTED POST WITH PRISTINE GRAMMAR. SO WRITE THE WAY YOU SPEAK:

FRIENDLY, CASUAL, ACCESSIBLE. IN SHORT, HUMAN.”

- Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs

This isn’t a college thesis. Rest assured – whatever you’re penning will not be up for a Pulitzer.

I’m NOT saying U shud right like a 13 y/o gurl, asking her bestie what she’s wearing to the skool dance, but

find a happy medium.

Y.A.C.H.T.: YOUR AUTHORITATIVE COMMAND HAS TONE

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We all want a luxury yacht, right? Those that have the means to afford one usually have confidence, as they’ve

experienced some degree of success in their career.

Always remember the Y.A.C.H.T. acronym while writing. Whether you realize it or not, visitors came to your

website (presumably) to learn. To them, you are an expert; a teacher willing and able to bestow your knowledge

to the world. That may feel weird to read, but it’s true. Exude that confidence in your writing. You are the

authority, equipped with industry experience.

There is a common joke that if you read something on the Internet it must be true. Most of us say that with

sarcasm since publishing a blog comes with great ease, but the truth is, most Internet users aren’t keen to

that fact.

Even the title of this very publication, “The Definitive Guide to Corporate Blogging for Marketers” insinuiates

that this is THE absolute handbook to coporate blogging, when, in fact, there are a myriad of other guides to

blogging out there.

PART 2, THE OPPORTUNITY COST OF TIME: GET IN & GET OUT A gripping hook is the most important aspect of a blog post.

Try this on for size: According to a study conducted by Missouri University of Science and Technology, when

visiting a new website, it takes users less than 0.2 seconds to form an impression. If you can grab a reader’s

attention with a strong anecdotal hook that presents a problem to which you’ll explain a solution in the body of

the post, then you’ve won the most important battle fought on the blog frontier.

Anecdotal openings work well, but we’ve found that jarring statistics work better. For example, this part of the

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Whitepaper is about retaining the reader’s attention, right? You probably agree it’s important anyway, but what

if I told you 57% of web users abandon a website after three seconds? That raw data resonates and drives

the point home.

The introductory paragraph isn’t the only important component of the post, obviously. Understand that reading

habits in today’s 24/7-News-Cycle-Smart-Phone-Now-Now!-Now!!! World, put a premium on concision.

These days, people read vertically, not horizontally. Get in, make your point, and get out. If your word count is

approaching a thousand words, you should be wrapping the post up.

PART 3, TYPES OF BLOG POSTS: ROUNDUP LINKS, LISTS, HOW TO’S, CURRENT EVENTS, THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Grammar? Check. Style? Check. Format? Check.

We’ve explored how to write, now let’s dive into stylistic methods to get your ideas onto your blog in an

organized and engaging manner.

1. THE LINKING POST

Publishing Roundup – or Linking – posts are perhaps the simplest way to immediately drive traffic and produce

valuable content on your blog. The idea is to scour trade publications across the Internet and poach interesting

content to republish on your blog. You are not producing original content. Find three or four interesting pieces,

tersely summarize the main idea, and editorialize by forwarding your thoughts on the topic discussed. Agree

or disagree – just have a take.

We know what you’re thinking. This isn’t stealing content in as much as it’s re-broadcasting material, and

pushing the ideas explained further. Yes, you should provide credit. In fact, not only should you link back to the

original author in your post, but tweet your post at them on Twitter and (if you feel strongly) send the author

an email. This will coerce discussion and drive traffic. Keep in mind, per HubSpot, the average company

that blogs gets 97% more inbound links. More eyeballs on your blog means more eyeballs on your virtual

storefront.

These posts are best served in the morning. You act as a curator – a one-stop place – for readers to get the

latest industry news. Subconsciously, as you construct your own reactions, this will also help develop and

promulgate your editorial voice.

2. LISTS

Lists or ranking posts (e.g. The Top-10 Ways to Improve Your Conversion Rate) tend to take longer to produce

and require more homework, but are extremely popular. By nature, ranking posts create stimuli and interest.

Readers want to know what is the best, why it is the best, and the details in between. Lists also shape your

editorial voice one step further – you are putting your name and stamp of approval (or disapproval) on a

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definitive document.

3. HOW-TO POSTS

As an industry leader, extend your voice further by taking your in-depth knowledge and explaining how to

complete a task related to your business. Maybe it’s vendor selection. Maybe it’s an implementation plan.

Whatever it is, you have experience in the topic, service, and product line – provide that insight in a careful,

step-by-step format. Plus, How-to posts spawn goodwill with your readership – visitors will feel as if your FREE

insight provides value to them at no cost.

4. CURRENT EVENTS

Look around at current events and relate what is happening in the real world to your industry. This is actually

as easy as we’re making it sound. If you own a restaurant, for example, write a blog about what actor Taylor

Lautner would order to stay in shape during the release of the new “Twilight” movie. If this seems silly to you,

no big deal, pick another pop culture or news item. The key here is to make your content relatable to readers

outside your niche by incorporating current events.

5. THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Forbes.com defines a thought leader as an individual or firm that prospects, clients, referral sources, intermediaries

and even competitors recognize as one of the foremost authorities in selected areas of specialization, resulting

in its being the go-to individual or organization for said expertise.

Using your blog to become an ombudsman of your industry takes a long, long time. Truth be told, being a

designated a Thought Leader is the absolute pinnacle or zenith of blogging accomplishments. The ideas you

are forwarding turn so influential that you are no longer marketing a product, concept, or company – you are

marketing yourself.

There are tangible benefits, besides the acclaim and notoriety, to Thought Leadership. Google is constantly

tinkering with its algorithm to account for Author Rank and Social Influence.

Are algorithms still geared toward Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tactics and volume? Yes, of course. We’re

not reinventing the wheel here, but Author Rank rewards those who have demonstrated influence. Creating

relevant and shareable content that accumulates comments and clicks will drive traffic to your website. How

the content performs on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and other outlets will play a role in ranking as well.

PART 4, FUSION MARKETING:

Blog posts cannot be riddled with blatant advertising. While it is important to present how your product or

service can be valuable to a company or person’s needs, being celebral about placing self-promotion is wise.

Customers want to think of this space as partially objective discourse and analysis of your industry that they

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can trust. And trust is a valuable commodity. 81% of online consumers trust information and advice from

blogs. Moreover, 61% of online consumers have made a purchase based on a recommendation from a blog.

Your company blog is just one piece of your content marketing strategy. Traditional ploys, like press releases

and email blasts, will always be effective, but consider the following: According to the Gartner Research Report,

“Using Digital Marketing to Differentiate Yourself From Competitors,” less than 1% of email campaigns are

opened.

Too many marketers think of each portion of their content marketing plan as a silo. That line of thinking needs

to change: Old-hat tactics should work in conjunction with new strategies, like blogging and your social media

outposts. Create a schedule, intertwine each component of your strategy, and instead of limiting the impact of

each effort – optimize your exposure.

CLOSING THOUGHTS . . .

TAKING YOUR COMPANY BLOG TO THE NEXT LEVEL

And there it is. Blogging is like anything else – the more you practice, the better material you will produce.

THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE YOUR BLOGGING EXPLOITS TO NEW HEIGHTS USING

THE FOLLOWING TOOLS:

■ An easy-to-use content management system to publish on

■ Ahead-of-the-curve Search Engine Optimization practices

■ Analytics that explain what’s working, and what’s not

Bridgeline’s integrated iAPPS Platform, combines each of these features to help make your blogging exploits

as effective as possible. First and foremost, iAPPS Content Manager allows users to seamlessly publish posts

on a simple platform. Everything about iAPPS is SEO-friendly, increasing the visibility of your virtual home

by ensuring search engines find your website. Finally, iAPPS Analyzer, our analytics software, not only feeds

marketing teams intel as to what is garnering visitors’ attention, but it provides actionable suggestions as to

how to improve web traffic, set up watched events to tie specific content to campaigns and feature targeted

content to readers based off navigation behavior.

REQUEST A DEMOTo learn more about Bridgeline Digital’s integrated iAPPS Product Suite,

please visit us at BridgelineDigital.com or call 1-800-603-9936 to speak to a representative.